


Reunion

by Callie



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-03
Updated: 2013-09-03
Packaged: 2017-12-25 12:05:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/952875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callie/pseuds/Callie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He only wishes it hadn't taken her going away for him to figure it out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> on tumblr, I asked for prompts for mini-fics, and one prompt was: _before I started writing the show but saw the pics of the hug, I thought they were in an airport, reuniting or something. maybe you could write that?_ (The idea for MacKenzie's leave-of-absence is courtesy of Cerie.)

After the election, MacKenzie cracks. She begs Will to fire her and when he tells her he can't because he re-renegotiated his contract six months ago to give up the right to fire her at the end of every week and even if he _could_ fire her, he wouldn't, she cracks into pieces right there in Will's office. Will closes the blinds and lets her get it out of her system and then gently, with the caution one might use in defusing a bomb, he suggests that she take a fucking vacation because she hasn't had one the entire time he's known her, and a couple of weeks of eight-hours-a-night sleep might do wonders for her state of mind.

So she goes on vacation. 

Will doesn't know where; all he knows is that Jim's stepped up into her place and MacKenzie's gone for the next three weeks. He doesn't know whether Jim stepped up because MacKenzie asked him to or because he took the initiative on his own, but Will supposes it doesn't actually matter because Jim does an adequate job and while no one is as good as MacKenzie, Jim is better than all of the other available options.

He misses her in his ear.

MacKenzie doesn't call and she doesn't text, and she doesn't email, either, which Will thinks he should probably be glad about given that she has problems using technology appropriately, but he sets a special notification tone on his BlackBerry for any incoming emails from MacKenzie, just in case, and is disappointed when he never hears it.

Halfway through the second week, Sloan says, "MacKenzie seems to be enjoying St. Lucia." It only takes Sloan a moment to realize that Will didn't get a text when she did, and she fumbles around for an explanation before giving up with a small shrug. "I'm sure she's coming back," Sloan says. "Maybe she just didn't know what to say."

Will doesn't answer, but he spends the next two nights after work stoned out of his mind. It's easier, like that, not to think about the possibility that she just might not come back, contract or no contract. For all he complains about what she does here and how often he doesn't take her advice, he likes having her around; he doesn't want another producer, and he doesn't want another woman. He just wants MacKenzie.

He only wishes it hadn't taken her going away for him to figure it out.

The following Thursday, his BlackBerry notifies him that he has a text from MacKenzie. 

_LaGuardia, Saturday, 4:15._

It's all she says, and Will knows why it's so short and there's no elaboration. Telling is better than asking, when you think the answer is no.

 _I'll be there,_ he replies. There's no answer, but he doesn't need one.

His driver drops him at the terminal a few minutes before she lands. He waits near the baggage claim, reading email on his phone. It isn't until he's read all his email and turned to ESPN that she appears a few feet away and his heart skips a beat with relief that she's really back. She's wearing jeans and sandals and a hint of a tan, and she looks calmer now, like she's taken off the weight of the entirety of the blame for Genoa and exchanged it for the little slice of blame they each have for what happened. Just her share and no more.

Will puts his phone in his pocket and crosses the distance between them.

"Hi," she says, shifting her carryon bag on her shoulder. Then she drops her bag and slides her arms around him and there's nothing to do but hold her close, not because he thinks he should, but because he wants to. He missed her. Later, he'll probably think of five reasons to be pissed off at her, but right now the only thing that matters is that she came back.

"Don't go away again," he says quietly. 

"It was your idea," she says.

"I know," Will says. "Just don't do it again."

"I won't."

Will lets go of her then, but only to rest his hands on her shoulders and look at her. "Are you really back? Or are you just coming home?"

"Both. NewsNight _is_ my home." MacKenzie offers him a small smile. "Now let's do the news."

 _Yes_ , Will thinks. _Let's do the news._ And maybe, eventually, the rest will fall into place.


End file.
